Segmental piston ring



P 1946. v. F. ZAHODIAKIN 2,398,270

' SEGMENTAL PISTON RING Filed Dec. 29, '1945 INVENTOR.

BY I I Patented Apr. 9, 1946 uNrrEp STATES PATENT OFFICE SEGMENTAL PISTO RING Victor F. Zahodiakin, Short Hills, N. J.

Original application September 15.'19s9. now Patent Np. 2,355,772. August 15, 1944. Divided and this application December 29, 1943, Serial Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in packing or compression rings of the type adapted to be 1 295,108 filed September 15, 1989, now Patent ltumber 2,355,7 72,Aug. 15,1944.

It has been one of the objects of the present invention to provide a piston ring adapted to the above uses which will readily and easily conform to any irregularity in the contour of a cylinder,

and in this respect the, invention has great utility when used in conjunction with worn cylinders. In other words, the object has been to provide a ring which will conform to localized irregularities or distortions as well as to general irregularities. I

It has been a further object of the invention to provide a piston ring which can be made and assembled in a simple manner by a few operations.

More specifically, the elements of the ring may be made by a punch press operation and the assembly may be accomplished by hand or automatic machinery as the case may be.

Specifically, the present invention contem-.

plates the distribution around the circumference of the ring of the normal gap which mustbe provided in a piston ring to ermit expansion and contraction and, toward this end, in the ring which constitutes the preferred embodiment of the invention this gap has been arranged in minute divisions around the entire circumference of the ring.

The concept of the invention has been to provide a ring made'up of segments disposed in circumferential arrangement by means which provides, when installed, either radial pressure or circumferential pressure or both. In other words, the segments are connected so as to constitute a ring providing radial slits distributed around the ring. Thus the ring provides a series of independently flexible segments which may radially adjust themselves to local variations in the contour of the cylinder as well as to general irregularities or variations from a true circle.

11 150 this use. It-

(Cl. zoo-44) I regularities of the cylinder without mechanical fltt ng of the character required with most rings of e= prior art. bther objects and advantages of the invention 5 will be more fully apparent from'a description of the drawing in which: I Figure 11s a top plan viewof the ring removed from the cylinder.

section of the ring.

Figured is a side view thereof.- Figure' 4 is a 1 ments; Y

Figure 5 is a side view thereof.. i, Figure 6 is stop plan view of one oithe spring means adjoining the segments.

Time 7 is a side view of Figure 8.

invention that a multiplicity of segments are joined together to form a complete piston ring.

Each pair of adjoining segments is joined together by a spring element which not only connectsthe segments but has the added function of urging the segments into contact with the cylin- 25.der wall.

- In the drawing, the segments indicated at II are held in spaced relationship by individual spring clips Ii. These clips I I are disposed within the width and thickness of the assembled For this purpose each segment has its end faces notched as at I: back of the contact edge It providing clearance for the spring clip. Also an additional notch I4 is provided on the inner periphery of the segment. The spring clip is of ment legs I6 extended circumferentially and spot welded in the respective notches ll. These spring clips are formed and mounted so as to exert a spring action circumferentially when the ring is mounted in the cylinder bore} l In the assembly of the completed ring the individual elements are stamped or otherwise fabricated, preferably from sheet metal, and thereafter assembled into a unitary structure to form the completed ring of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A piston ring comprising a series of segments forming an annular band, spring clips disposed within the confines of the band and connecting adjacent segments, said spring clips being of U-form with the sides of the U extended substantially radially and legs extending from the sides circumferentially and attached to the segments.

2. A iston ring comprising a series of separable Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary of a top blan'v iew of one of the seg- It a a general characteristic of the ring 01' the U-shape as indicated at It. It includes attachsegments arranged circumierentially to form an annular band, individual spring clips connecting each pair 0! adjacent segments, each of said clips being entirely disposed between the edges of a pair of adjoining segments and being securedthereto.

3. A piston ring comprising a series of separable segments arranged circumferentially, in-

view with the arms of the U pointed inwardly or the ring, whereby the segments are urged outwardly by the action of the clips when the ring is installed in a cylinder.

5. A piston ring comprising an assembly 01 separable elements including a plurality of segments arranged to form an annular band and a plurality of spring clips, said elements being arranged circumferentially with segments and clips alternating, each clip being secured to the next adjacent segment and including a loop portion disposed within the confines of the band and adapted to generate both radial and circumferential pressure when the ring is installed in a cylinder.

VICTOR F. ZAHODIAKIN. 

